Excess minerals in the diet and water of animals can have an adverse effect on animal health, consumers, and the environment. Preventing unsafe mineral exposure is a fundamental part of animal nutrition and management. At the request of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Academies convened a committee to make recommendations on animal tolerances and toxic dietary levels, updating a 1980 report on mineral tolerance in domestic animals. Based on a review of current scientific data and information, the report sets a "maximum tolerable level" (MTL) for each mineral as it applies to the diets of farm animals, poultry, and fish. The report includes an analysis of the effects of toxic levels in animal diets, and it identifies elements that pose potential human health concerns. The report recommends research that includes a better characterization of animal exposure to minerals through feedstuffs; a better understanding of the relationship between mineral concentrations in feed and water and the levels in consumer products such as meat, milk, and eggs; and more research on the maximum tolerable level of minerals for aquatic and companion animals.

Nutrition is truly a science of the 20th century. That physiological disabilities could be caused by a lack of exogenous substances which could be supplied by foods is a concept of relatively recent origins. It is not surprising, therefore, that, until the last few years, much of nutritional science research was tied to: 1) establishing a cause and effect relationship between a physiological problem and its cure/prevention by a chemical substance in food; 2) quantifying the amount of the substance (nutrient) needed to prevent deficiency symptoms; and 3) quantifying the amounts of nutrients found in various food substances. That a nutrient might be present in apparently adequate amounts in foods consumed by an individual but could not be fully utilized because of the concurrent consumption of anti-nutrients has been recognized as being an important problem as, for example, iodine-deficiency goiters resulting from consumption of gOitrigens. That less specific, less dramatic interactions among nutrients and among nutrients and other food components might enhance or inhibit the absorption of nutrients from the intestines or of the metabolism of nutrients within the body is an area of current concern.

Pathophysiology of Bariatric Surgery: Metabolism, Nutrition, Procedures, Outcomes and Adverse Effects uses a metabolic and nutritional theme to explain the complex interrelationships between obesity and metabolic profiles before and after bariatric surgery. The book is sectioned into seven distinct areas, Features of Obesity, Surgical Procedures, Nutritional Aspects, Metabolic Aspects, Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Glucose Control, Cardiovascular and Physiological Effects, and Psychological and Behavioral Effects. Included is coverage on the various types of bariatric surgery, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, biliopancreatic diversion, and jejunoileal bypass, as well as the variations upon these procedures. - Provides information on diet, nutrition, surgical procedures, outcomes, and side effects in relation to bariatric surgery in one comprehensive text - Contains a Dictionary of Terms, Key Facts, and Summary Points in each chapter - Includes access to a companion website with accompanying videos

Johne's Disease is a chronic, progressive intestinal disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) that affects primarily ruminant animals. In recent decades there has been growing concern over the lack of effective control of this disease and questions have arisen regarding the possibility that Map infection could be a cause of some cases of Crohn's disease in humans. This report presents a broad outline of the steps that should be taken to control Johne's disease, reduce the spread of Map, and minimize effects of the disease in animals. The report also describes the weaknesses of our current research agenda and provides recommendations for a new research strategy to resolve the question of whether there is a link between Johne's and Crohn's diseases.

The safety of the nation's drinking water must be maintained to ensure the health of the public. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for regulating the levels of substances in the drinking water supply. Copper can leach into drinking water from the pipes in the distribution system, and the allowable levels are regulated by the EPA. The regulation of copper, however, is complicated by the fact that it is both necessary to the normal functioning of the body and toxic to the body at too high a level. The National Research Council was requested to form a committee to review the scientific validity of the EPA's maximum contaminant level goal for copper in drinking water. Copper in Drinking Water outlines the findings of the committee's review. The book provides a review of the toxicity of copper as well as a discussion of the essential nature of this metal. The risks posed by both short-term and long-term exposure to copper are characterized, and the implications for public health are discussed. This book is a valuable reference for individuals involved in the regulation of water supplies and individuals interested in issues surrounding this metal.

The detenmnation of optimal nutritional status has traditionally been based upon generalized parameters such as weight gain and body fat levels. Vitamin and mineral requirements were often related to the intakes needed to prevent overt signs of deficiency diseases such as beriberi or scurvy. However, in the past decade or so, there have been intensive investigations to determine the subtle changes in physiological functions associated with marginal micronutrient intakes. There is a growing consensus that immune system activities are very sensitive indicators of micronutrient status. During this decade, there has also been a rapid expansion of research in the role of free radicals and antioxidants in the major chronic diseases which afflict mankind( i.e. cancer, cardiovascular disease,and autoimmune disease). The main function of antioxidant nutrients in an appropriate diet is the prevention of oxidative damage to cells and their physiological functions. Antioxidant nutrients counteract free radicals and damaging oxidative actions on cell membranes. Since the cells of the immune system are rapidly differentiating and proliferating, such dividing and transforming cells are particularly susceptible to damage by oxidation. The interactions of antioxidant nutrition and immune system activities and disease resistance are therefore logical areas for research. Thus, the objective of this symposium was to bring together the leading investigators who have examined the immunological effects of dietary essential nutrients which share the capacity to act as antioxidants.